Kristina brings structure, curiosity, and a user-focused mindset to legal innovation. We asked her a few not-so-easy questions to learn more about what drives her work.

What inspired you to become an expert in your field?

"I'd rather say that I was driven by a desire to help than outright inspired. Academically, I have a background in the Humanities (History and English), which taught me to think critically, recognize patterns, and communicate clearly; all skills that have proven surprisingly valuable in the legal world. Personally, I’m passionate about optimizing and improving processes, particularly when it comes to repetitive and manual tasks. I’m driven by a desire to help my colleagues help our clients, and nothing motivates me more than seeing them bogged down by administrative work that takes them away from delivering legal advice – it frustrates me every time I see it, because I know that it is a waste of their time and skills. That frustration on their behalf has driven me to seek out knowledge and learn as much as possible about different legal tech solutions. My natural curiosity means I haven’t stayed within one field either, but have explored everything from virtual data room solutions to GenAI, ML and robotics; from eDiscovery to transaction management and exhibit management tools. My focus has always been on identifying the tasks that distract the lawyers from their core legal work and finding intuitive, practical solutions that actually work for them."

Who has had the biggest influence on your career, and in what way?

"The biggest influence has been the lawyers I’ve worked with over the years; especially those who were open to revisiting old ways of working and who wanted to collaborate on change. Coming from a different background, I always have a lot of questions when I start working with a new group of lawyers – and yet they’ve consistently taken the time to show me the realities of their niche within legal practice; helping me understand not just the obstacles they face in their everyday work, but also what their goals are, what the ideal product needs to look like, and how their work ultimately supports the client. Their willingness to engage with new tools and ideas, even when it means challenging long-standing habits, has both motivated and inspired me. Their insight has been invaluable in shaping the solutions I now help develop and implement."

What’s been the most rewarding challenge you’ve faced in your career so far?

"One of the most rewarding challenges was working with a group of lawyers on translating their legal workflows, with all their edge cases, into a digital tool they could actually use in their everyday work. I worked both with lawyers and developers on this, and I think it was a learning experience for all involved. There is a lot of hype around legal tech, but over the years I’ve learned that every tool or solution presented by a vendor has to go through a careful screening process where we examine exactly how – and often if – it would work for us. And that process always starts with the legal professionals who are the end users. Fitting new solutions into the rhythms of a law firm requires deep respect for the people who work there, for their way of working, and for their preferences. People are at the heart of this, and I want them to be happier after the process is completed. Whether it’s transaction management, exhibit handling, or eDiscovery, the real challenge is balancing innovation with usability. Leading that change, step by step, and seeing a tool go from resistance to real adoption – that’s the reward."